Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/119

Rh ness, hell, sin, law, fear, devil and death; yon will be perfect in life and death, and secure from all yom* enemies, both visible and invisible, who would deprive and rob you of the promised kingdom, through the advice and seed of the old serpent. The dominion and government of the spiritual king are spiritual, therefore, iiwy cannot be fatally hurt or conquered by tyranny, false doctrine, or evil lusts; for they can do all things through Christ, who strengthens them, who also is their helper and redeemei-, whose shield and sword is their glory.

Again, you are also priests anointed of God, not with the external oil of Aaron and his sous, nor with the perishable blood of oxen and sheep ; nor with the splendid gar- ments of gold, silk and precious stones, as the law required; but anointed, sprinkled and affected with the oil of the Holy Ghost, with the blood of Christ, and clothed with the garment of righteousness, ordained and called of God, not to slay the creatures dai- ly, and offer them upon altars, in outward temples of stone, as Moses commanded the priests in the law; but you are to slay hu- man beings, all your lives, with the sword of the divine word (understand spin'iaaU>/), together with yoiu- own refractory flesh and blood, that is, that you teach and reprove them, and yourselves, with the Spirit and j word of the Lord, that you and they die to your unrighteousness and evil lusts, destroy them, and thus offer in your spiritual house or temple, not made with hands, upon the only and eternal altar of otir reconciliation, Jesus Christ.

Besides, you are not such priests, who of their own righteousness offer bread and wine for the sins and transgressions of the common people, and for the souls of the de- ceased, neither are you to sing nor read mass, nor worship the golden, silver, wood- en and stone images, nor serve nor burn in- cense to them as the poor, ignorant priests of the world do; but you are holy priests, who piu'ify and sanctify your own bodies daily, and in time of need voluntarily ofi'er them as a sweet smelling sacrifice, for the truth's sake, together with your ardent pray- ers and joyful thanksgiving, out of a be- lieving, converted, pure heart; for such offer- ings are well pleasing to the Lord. Would to God, that all who are called priests, were changed into such priests; ah! how much innocent blood would be spared, how gloriously the truth would be spread, and what a noble Christian world this would be!

Say, beloved brothers, who can fully com- prehend tJiis grace, or relate these benefits ? Again, formerly, we all strayed as lost sheep, which have no shepherd; we walked accord- ing to the lusts of our evil flesh, even as they all do, who know not the way of the Father; we were unbelievers in divine things, blind and without understanding, full of bruises and putrifying sores from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, and by natui-e, children of wi-ath like others. But blessed be the Lord, now we are washed, now we are sanctified, now we are justi- fied in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Spirit of otir God, 1 Cor. 6: 11; in short, we are converted to the true Shep- herd and preserver of our souls, Jesus Christ, who pastures us in the rich pastures of his truth, feeds us with the bread of his word, sustains us with the tree of life, and refreshes us with the water of his Spirit. Who can comprehend and relate this grace 'i

Besides this, when we were yet ungodly and enemies, he did not punish us as he did the angels that sinned, nor like the first depraved world, nor lilce Sodom and Go- morrah, nor like those who worshipped the calf, nor like those in the day of provoca- tion, nor like the seditious and adulterers, nor like those in the wilderness, who acted contrary to his will and word, for he de- stroyed all of them; btit he saved us through his great mercy, led us by his right hand, drew us by his goodness, renewed us by his word, begat us by the Holy Ghost, and enlightened us by the clear light of his ti-uth; that we by his grace renounced the world, flesh, devil and all manner of evil, willingly entered upon the path of peace and submitted to the easy yoke of his gospel. It appears to me. this may properly be called grace.

Most beloved children, take heed : Since then, the gracious Father has dealt so marvelously with us according to his great mercy, and manifested his love toward us without our merits, it is right and becoming that we